Berlioz: (La) Mort de Cléopâtre; Requiem

Advantages: Colourful and always exciting
Disadvantages: absolutely none

...) should be a very good introduction into the world of Berlioz. FEW LAST WORDS Always a revolutionary, Berlioz never repeated the same thing twice (in terms of form that is). His second symphony, "Harold en Italie" was originally supposed to be a viola concerto for the violin virtuoso Paganini, but then evolved into a "symphony with viola solo" and his third, "Roméo et Juliette" is more close to a semi-opera than a symphony (it is described as being a dramatic symphony). The Symphonie fantastique was followed in 1831 by a work subtitled "Le retour à la vie" (Return to Life), and was renamed "Lélio: deuxième partie de l'épisode de la vie d'un artiste, ou le retour à la vie" in 1855. This sequel was for narrator, soloists, and orchestra, also featuring the idée fixe, but being more disjointed and somewhat of a curiosity. His two great sacred... Read review

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Advantages: The experience of getting inside an artistic head
Disadvantages: French not quite idiomatic

...to this CD is almost like eave-dropping on her private musings. It is a very intimate listening experience. You don't even have to understand French to know exactly what she is thinking as she sings the songs. Everything that needs to be communicated is there in the voice itself. A mellow and vibrant burgundy voice with a woodsy clarinet-like quality. Kasarova might not speak French well, but she sings like she has a fine French wine in her veins. Tracks: BERLIOZ: Les nuits d'ete (Summer Nights): This set of 6 songs don't really tell a single story, though they are songs set to the poems of Theophile Gautier and sharing the 'by-the-water' background theme. It is as if the singer is an unconsumated/abandonned lover who is sitting alone by the seashore and musing of her many missed romantic opportunities. 1. Villanelle 2. Le spectre de la rose 3... Read review

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Advantages: Morricone at his best and most original
Disadvantages: Apart from some incompleteness none

.... The last cue, "The Trio", is the final stand-off between the three men and is a great way to end the album. 1. Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo / The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Main Title (2:43) 2. Il Tramonto (The Sundown) (1:15) 3. Sentenza* (1:42) 4. Fuga a cavallo* (1:07) 5. Il ponte di corde* (1:52) 6. Il forte / The Strong (2:23) 7. Inseguimento* (2:25) 8. Il deserto / The Desert (5:17) 9. La carrozza dei fantasmi / The Carriage of the Spirits (2:10) 10. La mission San Antonio* (2:15) 11. Padre Ramirez* (2:37) 12. Marcetta / Marcia (2:53) 13. La storia de un soldato / The Story of a Soldier (3:54) 14. Il treno militare* (1:25) 15. Fine di una spia* (1:17) 16. Il bandito Monco* (2:46) 17. Due contro cinque* (3:46) 18. Marcetta senza speranza / Marcia without Hope (1:41) 19. Morte di un soldato / The Death of a Soldier (3:08) 20. L... Read review

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